Spotify Kids is a brand new app featuring curated playlists, better privacy, and no ads

Spotify is launching a new app today for folks in certain regions, bringing a more focused approach to kids.

It’s called Spotify Kids and it’s available now in the United States, Canada, and France. It will be expanding to additional countries at some point in the near future, but, for now, the free app is available only in the aforementioned areas. And while the app is a standalone download, you’ll need to have a registered Spotify Premium Family account to actually take advantage of it.

Spotify says this app is designed with safety and privacy in mind, but it doesn’t limit the experience for the listener at all. It will still be built upon music recommendations based on the past listening habits of the kid(s) in question, and build new playlists and listening experiences off that. However, there aren’t any advertisements, and Spotify is hoping that, especially now during the coronavirus global pandemic, it can be a helpful tool.

Spotify Kids has been in beta for quite some time, but the app’s official rollout is pretty limited in comparison:

This comes off our initial launch of Spotify Kids in beta in Ireland, followed by Sweden, Denmark, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. With more than 125 playlists, Spotify Kids makes it easy for families to listen to their favorite songs and stories while also discovering new ones. Everything on Spotify Kids has been hand selected by our editors, so you can be sure that the content is both kid friendly and—most importantly—fun!

Spotify says that there are over 8,000 tracks available for kids to listen to in the app in the United States and Canada, and that they are adding new songs on a daily basis. There are also a variety of audiobooks to listen to as well, including from sources like Disney Music Group Stories. And for parents who want to tap into the app during bedtime, Spotify Kids now features more lullabies, bedtime stories, and calming sounds.

And as far as privacy is concerned, the app is Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, compliant.

Parents have the ability to customize the listening experience for their kid(s) when they see fit, choosing which songs can or can’t be listened to and much more. And the popular songs on the new app are based on what’s popular in the country you live in.

And there is an educational element, too:

  • There has always been a focus on educational musical content for kids on the app, including a playlist hub called Learning that features songs that teach kids about counting, the ABC’s, science, and more. Recently, we also added a new global playlist with songs to help kids learn general hygiene best practices, like how to wash their hands and cough and sneeze properly into their elbows. This playlist features the newly released song from Pinkfong, “Wash Your Hands with Baby Shark.” Plus, relevant educational content on the app will continue to grow.

For subscribers in the United States there is even more content to explore, including from genres like Motown, a soul dance party playlist, Spanish-language, country, and more. Playlists from popular family-friendly movies like Frozen and Trolls World Tour are also available in the app.

Spotify Kids is a free app, and it won’t cost families any more money to use. They just need to have a current subscription to the Spotify Family Premium membership to use it. It’s available now for iOS and Android.

In related news, Apple Music has done something similar recently, albeit not in a standalone app. The company is curating content across its services, including Apple Music, to promote family-friendly content while folks are stuck at home. That includes a variety of different playlists, including music videos.